You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Holidays’ category.
I’m flu-y and it’s just not in me to write an end-of-the-year/beginning-of-a-new-year post so I’m sharing Chris Guillebeau’s simple and optimistic post.
(Photographed at the Ché Memorial in Santa Clara, Cuba.)
Today is the 21st of December. It is the shortest, darkest, and potentially gloomiest day of the year for me—me with my angst of winter. But, after 21 December, there is only one way to go and that’s up. The days become longer after today! We are now moving toward the long, light-filled days and short nights of summer. There is light at the end of my winter tunnel.
Today is the Winter Solstice and, I must admit, I never really gave it much thought. But, after seeing photos from the BBC…
…and reading this:
“The word itself, “solstice”, comes from the Latin solstitium, a combination of “sun” (sol) and “a stoppage” (stitium). However, legend says that, at the very moment of solstice, it is not only the sun that stops. If you are in a silent place, with a quiet mind and a stilled heart, you can hear the earth catch her breath and pause, as she waits for the sun to turn and move, beginning his ageless journey toward the spring.”
in Linda’s post, I feel more reverence for the day. It’s more than my own little party for reaching the halfway mark in day length. I didn’t know how many of our modern day Christmas celebrations are based on the ancient celebrations of the Winter Solstice.
In Jen Louden’s email today she writes:
When my daughter Lillian was little, we would celebrate the Winter Solstice in a magical way. The Solstice fairy would leave magical presents at the doorstep. We would read solstice stories while eating cookies, and then we would light candles in all the windows and go for a walk in the dark. We’d talk about what we wanted to bring to light in the new year and what we wanted to let go of that had been hard. Then we would round the corner to our house and see the light waiting to bring us home.
You could, on this longest night of the year, gather candles and turn off all the lights. Sit in the darkness. Feel it around you. Perhaps, if it feels okay, imagine the aspects of the darkness that you are ready to shine light into–the fears you are ready to see for what they are, the patterns, the stresses, the old thoughts–gently and with love, of course!…
Today’s Intention: To remember the light always returns.
I like that. My candles are lit. Thank you Jen and Linda. Happy Winter Solstice to everyone.
This is too much! Here is an animal Christmas song for you…
I don’t have them this year. I’ve completely detached from Christmas. I usually go away for the holidays because I’m one of those people who have a really hard time with them. As a kid, Christmas was always a combination of excitement and dread.
Christmas Eve was fun and exciting—my parents would get one of their friends to dress up as Santa and wake us kids up in the middle of the night. I remember being so full of joy when that happened. Christmas Eve was always the best part of Christmas.
Christmas Day was fun for a little while. Opening presents was fun until the parents had had a few too many eggnogs and I’d get yelled at for not opening something in the correct order. That’s how it started.
First, it was improper unwrapping procedure. From there, Christmas spirit quickly disintegrated into the parents arguing, which led to all out fighting. And, it was always loud. Scary. Back then, Christmas joy didn’t last long. Christmas morning was good for a few hours and then it was all over. Life as usual. Alcohol, yelling, fighting, and what felt like hate.
Now, I’m functionally an orphan—I haven’t seen nor spoken to my family for 20+ years. Now I try to go away for the holidays. I’ve been to places like Antarctica, Chile, Peru, and Cuba for Christmas. It’s always such a huge relief to get away from all the media pictures of the perfect family—the loving, smiling faces as they receive yet more family members at the front door. Big front door. Warm, comfortable, cinnamon-y smelling (I’m sure), home. Cold, snowy outside. Lots of snow, lots of smiles and hugs. Lots of what I don’t have.
This year there isn’t money to travel. I feel like a grounded pilot. Because the economy is so bad, Christmas began early on TV this year. That made it much easier to detach from it. I’m just continuing those feelings…that it couldn’t be Christmas because it wasn’t even yet Halloween. Now, it’s December and it still isn’t Christmas. Yay.
Christmas in Cuba
I just read a nice holiday post over at A Cup of Jo and I gotta say, “I got nothin’ here.” So, go have a look—there are some great links. Some of them aren’t really “me,” but the variety of things on the web never ceases to amaze me! Love the sugar people.
Photo: EvenCleveland
Recent Comments